Essential Points
In this section are the essential points from Dark Money, as I understand them.
In each point I provide a link that uses the search tool to bring up the relevant sections from the book.
In each point I provide a link that uses the search tool to bring up the relevant sections from the book.
Reading this section, and the links involved, is the quickest and most efficient way to understand and gain some perspective on this book's important message: that the billionaire conservative right have effectively captured the Republican party and compromised the electoral process at the federal, and many of the state, levels. Furthermore, that the families involved are selfish, blind to their social obligations to society, and seem nearly immoral in their callous disregard for any culpability in their actions. They have a sense of entitlement akin to the old aristocracies of pre-industrial Europe -- and seem oblivious that this should seem strange to others.
Their political strategy has been successful, as it has culminated in an administration that is aggressively implementing their long range plans for the federal government -- which is essentially its internal dismantling, particularly with regard to regulation of the private sector.
Spearheaded by the Koch brothers, but comprised of a few dominant families, this secretive network has toiled away at their strategy for decades without much headway and several dramatic setbacks, but which began to produce results in the 1990's, made further progress in the 2000's, and hit the jackpot in 2010 due to Citizens United and the rise of the Tea Party. Then in 2016, the unlikely election of Trump, though not initially backed by the Kochs, has delivered them the perfect environment to implement their plans for rolling back government regulation, limiting personal rights, weakening unions and locking in legislators and legislative agendas that serve their goals. In effect, capturing the government and bending it to their will.
Once you're reviewed this section, I think you can understand why I consider understanding this book is almost required for understanding current political events. If you don't have time to read it, that is why I have published these essential points, backed up with citations from the book.
It is only by understanding this deep, sustained and successful strategy over the past three decades that a successful counter-strategy be developed to expose and defeat it.
Point Number One: The Koch strategy for manufacturing political change is anti-democratic and amounts to controlling the government for their own gain.
The Koch brothers' chief lieutenant, Richard Fink, developed this key strategy of how to manufacture political change when he started working for the Kochs in the late 1970's. It was then refined throughout the 1980's; by trial and error; though sometimes suffering setbacks, they gradually learned the pragmatic means by which to implement their ideas. The strategy began to produce results by the 1990's, when chosen politicians began enacting legislation to achieve their goals.
It consists of three phases:
It consists of three phases:
- Invest in intellectuals to produce raw material that justifies conservative, free market principles, both generally and specifically.
- Invest in think tanks that turn these ideas into marketable policies
- Subsidize, or create outright, citizen organizations and special interest groups that pressure elected officials to implement these policies.
Though it sounds simple, the Dark Money network has implemented this on a massive scale. Just one example is the Tea Party. At the time it appeared in the wake of Obama's election in 2008, the Koch network was poised to capture them by subsidizing them, then directing them.
Point Number Two: This strategy has been carried out in secret because the Koch's do not want their influence seen by the public.
Transparency is anathema to the Koch operations and their associates. They prefer to buy their political influence through third parties. The long string of investigations, and convictions, of Koch Industries and associates offers glimpses into the secretive and illegal ways that they seek to influence political outcomes.
This is also one of their key political weaknesses; because once exposed, their public credibility, already low, can be reduced even more, even become a political liability.
This is also one of their key political weaknesses; because once exposed, their public credibility, already low, can be reduced even more, even become a political liability.
Search on "secrecy"
Point Number Three: The Koch companies got their start by helping the German Nazis and Russia's Stalin prior to WWII.
Point Number Three: The Koch companies got their start by helping the German Nazis and Russia's Stalin prior to WWII.
The father of Charles and David Koch, Fred Koch, started out by inventing a better method of refining oil. Rebuffed by American companies, he took his expertise to Europe, and was hired first by helping build refineries for Stalin in Russia in 1930-32. Then in 1934, he was hired by Hitler to build a large refinery, which turned out to a crucial component of the Nazi war machine as it geared up for WWII.
Search on "Nazi Stalin"
Point Number Three: The billionaire class is selfish, corrupt and violent. They engage in intimidation tactics similar to the Mafia to silence opponents.
The Koch family itself was highly dysfunctional in its upbringing, and the example set the father
Point Number Four: This ruling class cares nothing about the safety of its workers.
Point Number Five: This ruling class cares nothing about environmental quality.
Point Number Six: This ruling class cares nothing about honesty or fair dealings in its own business practices, much less its politics.
As pointed out numerous times in the book, ...
The Koch family itself was highly dysfunctional in its upbringing, and the example set the father
Point Number Four: This ruling class cares nothing about the safety of its workers.
Point Number Five: This ruling class cares nothing about environmental quality.
Point Number Six: This ruling class cares nothing about honesty or fair dealings in its own business practices, much less its politics.
As pointed out numerous times in the book, ...